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 Wednesday night might have just solidified it in ink.
For the first time in school history, the Red Raiders defeated a
ranked opponent in three straight games. Sophomore guard Keenan
Evans hit three free throws in the final 30 seconds, and No. 3
Oklahoma missed a point-blank shot under the basket as the Red
Raiders defeated the Sooners 65-63 Wednesday night at United Spirit
Arena.
"It means a lot, anytime you can get a win against a ranked team,"
Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith aid. "We've played a very
competitive schedule, one of the top five toughest schedules in the
country. We've got to continue to play to our potential. It's all
about getting the wins. You can't wish it, you can't hope on
selection Sunday. You've got to make it happen and the only way you
can make it happen is to win the day."
The Red Raiders (16-9, 6-7 in Big 12) certainly did that on
Wednesday. Texas Tech got 25 points from its bench, none bigger than
the team-high 17 from forward Aaron Ross, while Evans scored 12 of
his 14 in the second half as the Red Raiders followed wins over No.
14 Iowa State on Nov. 10 and No. 21 Baylor on Saturday with a gritty
performance against the Sooners.
Texas Tech also did a good job defensively on guard Buddy Hield. The
defending Big 12 Player of the Year and candidate for National
Player of the Year this season, Hield scored the Sooners' first 10
points of the game then scored just six more the rest of the way,
finishing almost 10 points below his season average.
Guards Justin Gray and Toddrick Gotcher took turns most of the night
guarding Hield with the intent of not letting him get hot from the
outside.
"Just contest everything he does," Gotcher said. "Contest his
drives, contest his shot. (Contest) everything, really. He's a great
player and probably player of the year, so just contest his looks
and do everything that you can."
Texas Tech held off any and all charges made by the Sooners (20-5,
8-5 in Big 12), including when OU led 61-57 with 2:45 left after
guard Jordan Woodard, who led all scorers with 25 points, hit two
free throws to cap a 6-0 run.
Texas Tech, however, closed the game on an 8-2 run and avoided
overtime when a forward Ryan Spangler missed a point-blank layup
with three seconds left.
"Tough game all night long and there wasn't much margin either way
throughout the night," said Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger, who team
suffered has lost three of its last four games and two straight for
the first time this season. "Tech really fought hard, did a good job
and made plays they needed to down the stretch. We gave up way too
many extra possessions there in the last few possessions. We've got
to bounce back and figure out how to play better ourselves."
Evans scored five of his 14 points in the final two minutes to put
Tech ahead, but his rebound off a miss with 30.7 seconds left was
just as crucial as it forced the Sooners to put him at the free
throw line.
Woodard hit a layup with 20.7 left to cut it to a one-point deficit,
and Evans hit one of two free throws on the Red Raiders' next
possession to make it a 65-63 lead.
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After a timeout, Tech blanketed Hield to prevent him from taking the
shot, forcing it into the hands of Spangler, who missed. Gotcher
grabbed the rebound as the black-clad Texas Tech fans stormed the
court for the second straight game.
"We wanted to make the drive," Evans said. "We didn't want to let
(Hield) get loose and hit a three to win the game. We wanted to make
them drive and (take a contested shot) without fouling."
Despite the Sooners not shooting particularly well to start the
game, Hield was Oklahoma's catalyst early, scoring the team's first
10 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, despite being blanketed
by Texas Tech sophomore guard Justin Gray.
Texas Tech also struggled, starting the game with a 31/2 minute
scoreless streak despite some good looks at the basket. But the Red
Raiders spent the opening minutes of the first half trading twos for
threes and falling behind early.
But a long 3-pointer from the top of the key by guard C.J.
Williamson ignited an 8-0 run in less than a minute that pulled the
Red Raiders even at 17-all. Neither team led by more than five
points the rest of the way.
And with the game tightening up, it would have been perfectly safe
to assume the more experienced Sooners would find a way to avoid the
upset. But having suffered these kinds of devastating losses to Big
12 teams early in the season, the Red Raiders are beginning to turn
things around and write a new script.
It could land them in the NCAA tournament after all.
"Three top 25 teams in a row, that's big for us and for Texas Tech
as a whole," Gotcher said. "We're getting noticed now."
NOTES: Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield entered the game with more
30-point games this season (eight) than the rest of the Big 12
Conference combined. ... The Sooners entered Wednesday leading the
nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.3 percent. They are on
a pace to eclipse the school record of 41.4 percent ... Texas Tech
had never beaten a ranked opponent three times in a season in school
history, much less in three straight games.
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